1st autocross event

Autocross, Road Racing, Rallycross, Rally...
hai1206vn
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1st autocross event

Post by hai1206vn »

I was gonna go to RIT next Sunday for my 1st ever event, but couldn't resist the urge. So I drove up to Buffalo yesterday to join West NY's event. It was a real good experience. I learned what my car can and can't do, how good other people are, and had a lot of fun. Lots of nice cars, but too many Subarus. One accident: somehow a kid whacked his STi against the curb and flew 1ft in the air (I was in line and didn't see it). Here's the resulting machine busted subie (wny-scca.com).

I learned how crappy my cheap all-season tires are, but I don't like it when dudes bring racing tires (soft compound, slicks, etc) to autox. I consider autox more or less time trials in a street environment, and only street radial tires should be used (high performance street OK). It's really no fun for other people when looking at the time differences. Just a thought.

I'm sure once you start autox, you can't wait still the next event. If anyone in the region wants to check out the RIT event on 4/29 here's the registration link http://soloreg.flr-scca.com/solo2/login.php
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Post by jomotopia »

awesome. :D sounds like you had a good time. poor subie :(
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zender05
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Re: 1st autocross event

Post by zender05 »

hai1206vn wrote: I learned how crappy my cheap all-season tires are, but I don't like it when dudes bring racing tires (soft compound, slicks, etc) to autox. I consider autox more or less time trials in a street environment, and only street radial tires should be used (high performance street OK). It's really no fun for other people when looking at the time differences. Just a thought.
It shouldn't bother you, as there is a 99% chance they are not in your class.
hai1206vn
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Re: 1st autocross event

Post by hai1206vn »

zender05 wrote:
hai1206vn wrote: I learned how crappy my cheap all-season tires are, but I don't like it when dudes bring racing tires (soft compound, slicks, etc) to autox. I consider autox more or less time trials in a street environment, and only street radial tires should be used (high performance street OK). It's really no fun for other people when looking at the time differences. Just a thought.
It shouldn't bother you, as there is a 99% chance they are not in your class.
I know. They're a separate class (SM - street modified) in which you can do almost anything. It just ticks me.
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Post by zender05 »

:?: Cars runnin' in SM can do anything? Definitely not. They're quite restricted. Look at A(m) cars...they're pretty bad.

I don't understand why you'd be ticked off. For me, classing is very good. It lets people who want to be cheap be cheap, and those who want to blow cash, blow cash.

However, I don't like the SCCA autox rules, as the classing makes it so that you're either spending nothing, or a ton of cash. So, my advice to you is to stop running SCCA and run NASA :). NASA allows some mods before pushing you against corvettes w/slicks.
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Post by hai1206vn »

Too bad NASA seems to cover larger regions, which means a lot of travel to event sites. I'll stay with SCCA for a while and pick up skills.
"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose." - Ayrton Senna
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Post by El Beefo »

Yeah, and once you get to the higher levels of NASA you have to deal with those 1,00,000hp space shuttles. Talk about unfair.


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six
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Post by six »

Grab a bunch of cones, make your own course in an abandoned factory parking lot or something, and have a blast with your friends. No need to deal with all this classing business or people bringing slicks that tick you off. Personally, I don't want to go to events like auto-x because I will most likely look like a supern00b compared to all the uber-skill that surrounds the event, being whooped by Civics and Celicas because I don't have any experience.
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Post by subzero »

six wrote:Grab a bunch of cones, make your own course in an abandoned factory parking lot or something, and have a blast with your friends...
o god yes. doing this with my friends, when i had the type-s, was so much fun, every time. make sure you find a big lot though :twisted:
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Post by Sisrahtac »

What class did you run in?

I accidentally entered the stock class my first event and got thoroughly waxed by a bunch of Mini Cooper S on race tires. :lol:

I will be driving in street touring in the future though. Though I dislike the SCCA classing as well since I have a turbocharged car. The moment I even think about touching the boost I am bumped up alongside the heavily modified high PSI turbocharged AWD monsters.
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Post by hai1206vn »

I incorrectly entered as street prepared (NDSP), although I should've been in street touring (NSTS). It doesn't matter much while I'm still carrying the N tag.

And yes, the classification is questionable. eg. 240sx and Camry are in the same G stock class.
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Post by hai1206vn »

hey subzero, did you get that sig pic from 240sx.org?
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Re: 1st autocross event

Post by GarySheehan »

hai1206vn wrote:I know. They're a separate class (SM - street modified) in which you can do almost anything. It just ticks me.
I'm a bit surprised that as a total noob, you've brought your preconceptions of what "autocross is" to your first event and managed to get pissed off that it doesn't fit into the little box you'd made for it. Your view that autocross should be "time trials for the street environment" and should only run on street tires is ridiculous.

What about all the guys that have purpose built autocross cars that are not even street legal? All those guys should go home? What about those insane formula cars that were converted to autocross? Kick them out? What about the guys that are interested in learning the characteristics and overcoming the challenges of driving a slick tire in a safe environment?

Autocross has MANY classes for MANY interests so that everyone can participate in fair competition. It is a much less expensive and much safer alternative to roadracing. Why you would want to limit that when it doesn't effect you directly is beyond me.
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Re: 1st autocross event

Post by hai1206vn »

GarySheehan wrote:Autocross has MANY classes for MANY interests so that everyone can participate in fair competition. It is a much less expensive and much safer alternative to roadracing. Why you would want to limit that when it doesn't effect you directly is beyond me.
No it shouldn't affect me, and what I'd prefer from autox shouldn't affect anyone else. I appreciate the reason behind all this, but I'd like it to be a bit different if I could ever impose something. That's all.
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Post by black94boost »

What event is at RIT this Sunday? :roll: lol
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